171206 Hugs and cuddles     On her side of the bed, she sleeps in a fetal position with her back facing the outside. Subconsciously, she swipes her hand across the empty half of the bed in search of her favourite plush toy. She wasn’t really much of a hugger when it came to her sleeping habits but these days she’s been feeling the desperate need to hold something close to her as she sleeps. Could this be from the lack of affection? He’s been away for a couple of weeks now, busy with overseas schedules for work. She breathes a long sigh. Sometimes her plush toy would roll away in the middle of the night so with her eyes remaining shut, she would wave her hand around blindly until she touches the soft material of it again, satisfied to go back into deep sleep only when the plush toy returns into her tight embrace.   But tonight is different. Her hand hits a solid something as she struggles to find the plush toy. The weight on the bed shifts and suddenly she’s the one being pulled into the warmth of strong arms. Panic hits her but she calms down almost instantly as if her body recognises this touch even if her eyes are not seeing. Her sleep-heavy senses are filled with a familiar sense of security and her body relaxes as her mind drifts off once again.   The morning light makes its way into the room through thin curtains over the wide window. Like the late riser she is, she huddles deeper into her blanket to avoid the sun, positioning her body to face the outside of the